A victory for union and unity, for compassion, for understanding that "all of us" means "ALL of us". A victory for knowledge, reason, and kindness over bigotry and ignorance and hatred and fear. A victory for respect for others, for the freedom of individuals to make critical life choices, for the freedom to vote whatever the color of one's skin, the size of one's income. A victory for "freedom and justice for all." A victory for government "of the people, by the people, for the people" with the broadest interpretation of people. A victory for taking responsibility. A victory for me...and I firmly believe, for the country and the world. We can be a much better nation...having voted for this, and not the other.

A defeat for mean-minded separatism, for racism, for lack of compassion, for thinking that "we" means the rich and "those people" don't count and are all lazy bums and leeches on the body politic. A defeat for being dismissive of "nails ladies" and calling people "animals" (looking at you, rich lady going to a $50,000/plate dinner, and you, smartass young guy at the GOP National Convention throwing peanuts at a black reporter...and everyone else who thinks that way.) A defeat for Ayn Randism. A defeat for four years of obstructionism, of putting "getting Obama out of office" over the welfare of the American people (another case of mean-mindedness.) A defeat for class and race arrogance. A defeat for a campaign founded and sustained on lies--hundreds of them, some repeated over and over and some denied even when the proof was right there on video. A defeat for excuses. A defeat for refusal to take responsibility for behavior past and present. A defeat for blaming others for those behaviors. (The blame-game as they like to call it is already going on in the losing party...it's the hurricane's fault. It's Gov. Christie's fault. It's always somebody else's fault when they don't get their way or something goes wrong.)

Victory does not signify perfection (something else the GOP fails to understand--if their guy does get elected, as GWB does, it does not make him God.) Our President is not perfect. Fortunately, he knows it. (Unlike GWB, again.) But our President is far more qualified than anyone the GOP put on the ballot to be our chief executive and commander in chief. He is willing to face reality in multiple fields. He is willing to consider the entire range of the US population--including the ones who hate him (but have generally prospered in the last four years) when considering what's good for the country. He can see beyond the next quarterly report. His policies (hampered through they were by an intransigent Congress) kept this country from falling off the cliff economically and suffering as some EuroZone countries (and others elsewhere) have suffered.

Yes, I was and am an Obama supporter. From the first time I had a chance to be, at our local precinct caucus over four years ago. Signed my name on it then, and since. I'm very glad he won...probably more glad than any previous Presidential candidate I've supported, because the contrast has become so very stark.

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Yes. I was talking to my farrier yesterday while he trimmed the horses about the deep divide that never actually healed, re-opened during 'Nam, and certainly hasn't healed since. It's scary. But it's our time, and we have to make the best of it...and in this election, despite all the anger and vitriol and downright nastiness, we did, pretty much.

I am proud to be part of one of the states (Maryland) that passed a Gay Marriate Referendum (even though I am NOT happy about some of the measures that passed). I hope it means that the country is moving on a more understanding and tolerant direction.

I agree very much with you, and how you put it, That mean spiritedness always bothered me as much as the politics. I know I live in a bubble (my county had the highest percentage of Obama supporters in the country 91 vs 8,) but because its the Bronx I know my views are not that of the rest of the country.

For me the biggest thing is that he will be able to nominate the next round of supreme court judges and the things I care about might be safe for a while.

I also find that Elizabeth Warren being elected is wonderful. She was blocked and belittled from heading the government agency she helped create, and now rather than going away and being quiet like a good little girl. She will be a thorn in the side of the bankers for a long time she is not going away. I am also proud of the fact that smarts won out that is rare and I am grad for any move to it.

I live in the "other" bubble--the red one--but some of that red is turning at least purple and there are other blue spots in the bubble.

I'm VERY happy that Warren was elected. I've watched her on TV many times--in different venues--and she's always seemed intelligent, reasonable, fact-based, and exactly the sort of person I wish I had representing me.

According to the BBC, the only country in the world other than the US where Obama wasn't a shoo-in was Pakistan, and they are --understandably -- unhappy about the unmanned drones. Most of Europe is having a party.And I am hugely relieved for all my American friends and colleagues, that Romney and his rich, white, male centred policies have been defeated.Kari

I understand Pakistan's position. OTOH, other countries wanting Obama will spook (already has spooked, pre-election, to the extent they knew about it) the die-hard paranoid crowd who think if another country likes a US politician, the US politician isn't being "tough" enough. This bullying attitude ticks me off and raises my own latent desire to knock heads together--just different heads.

I heard the news early this morning in the UK - I woke up at 6:30am just in time to hear Obama's speech, and I have to say I cried with joy, especially when he actually mentioned climate change, something that was not brought up *at all* in the election campaign.

The news of his election has been greeted with elation here in the UK (and mutterings that we wish we could get rid of our own awful conservative government).

I know that the promise of 2008 never really came to pass over the past four years, but Obama is so, so much better than the alternative, a group of people who despise "the other", including, apparently, half the population (I notice the rape apologists didn't get elected).

I'm so pleased for you, and I hope that Obama is able to make good use of the next four years.

We moved in mid-August, and I did not get around to switching my drivers license and attempting to register to vote at our new location until JUST too late.I was also not at-liberty to drive the 5 hours back to our old neighborhood and attempt to vote there [I'm not sure it would have worked anyway; all my ID's EXCEPT my voter-registration now give a Mississippi address rather than an Arkansas one].

My husband wondered-aloud when HE got back from the polling place [he had switched HIS residence information in time] whether his would turn out to be the lone Libertarian vote in the county. [This reminds me of the family legend that when my parents moved to a north-central Arkansas county in the early 1950's and my father registered to vote, he single-handedly doubled the Republican population of the county, as-measured by party affiliation in voter registrations.]

I am very glad Obama retained the Presidency, for the USA and for the rest of us. Parochially while it is not entirely true that 'what happens in the USA happens in the UK couple of years later', there is enough truth to make anyone with a regard in particular for womens rights, but also for so many other areas worry about the implication of a Republican winning.

Hooray! I was so pleased when I heard this morning, I was up early at 5am listening to NPR. I tried staying up last night, but couldn't make it while VA, FL, MT, HI, AK were being counted/still voting. I was super surprised my state (VA) swung for Obama since they're rather conservative here. We also elected a Democrat Governor (from last terms Republican). We certainly don't need a misogynist in office to muck up all the work President Obama has started. I feel like we'll become a more untied country when Obamacare comes into effect.

I recall reading yesterday some articles about the way our candidates voted themselves... I thought it was interesting :)

OK...I really like Australia, but you guys need to quit being politically dragged along behind us when we're going the wrong way. I don't know the causes (which I'm sure involve money somehow) but please, please, don't let us drag you into anything you don't want to be in.

Having a dedicated Lying Machine (Faux News) certainly does help, as does the money behind the whole shebang. I don't know if Rove, the Koch brothers, and the rest of that crowd have lost enough to cost them anything...I certainly hope so.

Amen!Having worked at the polls again, (Here in a Tomato Red County) I was heartened to find my precinct has moved from 3/4 Republican to 2/3 Republican. We are on our way to becoming Windsor Rose from the era of Blood Red. More young people, more folks of color.

None of my candidates won, except for Obama, but I'm so pleased the Senate picked up two D seats and eliminated the "Rape Caucus" leaders. Twenty women in the Senate is a new and welcome high.

I haven't looked at the 310 results, but remember that in 2008, at the precinct caucus, the GOP had claimed the indoors at the fire station and we were left in the (very literal) cold parking lot outside--but we had four or five times as many Dems there. The GOP guys and gals were clearly scared...I think they had 10-15 at most. We had 40+. There've been new affluent white folks moving in (thanks to The Vineyard) so it may've changed, but I'll bet we had a respectable Dem vote.

As we discussed, one of the things that worries me now is the very poor training given poll workers (at least in Republican-dominated states) nationwide. And yes, though I regret the results of many Texas elections, I'm SO glad the "rape caucus" people didn't win elsewhere.